


cycles

by tinysmallest



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: Gen, Post-Skyward Sword, good guy ghirahim au, the Link after Skyward Sword Link is no particular Link
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:28:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27001999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinysmallest/pseuds/tinysmallest
Summary: Ghirahim expected to be destroyed along with his master. He expected to be eradicated- probably more completely than Demise, because Demise held all the power and he in the end was nothing but a tool.He didn't expect that he'd still be alive after the hero struck his lord down.He expected less that the child he'd so wronged would offer a tentative hand of mercy.And least of all did he expect to catch feelings over it, feelings that would last the entire lifetime of that child and carry into the next one.But there he was, and now here he is.
Relationships: Ghirahim & Link (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 15





	cycles

**Author's Note:**

> I swear to god 'good guy Ghirahim who follows Link throughout time, serving as the hero's guardian every reincarnation au' was a thing at some point but I've been unable to find any trace of it except my own fanfiction that I wrote three years ago.
> 
> Anyway. Enjoy.

He was... shorter than Ghirahim had expected.

But then, he considered as Link held a hand out for him to shake, Link had always been a short one. Unusual choice in body structure for the god’s chosen hero, to be sure; maybe Hylia had hoped the boy would go largely unnoticed or underestimated by enemies when he went around doing his... hero business.

In his own case, it had definitely been the latter.

He shook his hand.

"I’m Link. But uh- you already knew that, huh?"

There was something very innocent in that sheepish smile, something nervous, almost. That made sense; by the time Ghirahim had met the Link before him, Link had already had a little adventuring under his belt. Not much, and he’d still been very new at facing the dangers that came with the occupational hazard when they’d had their first face off, but he’d been in some scraps with actual enemies out to kill him before they’d met. _This_ Link was entirely new to the situation, this concept of being a hero.

"Yes, of course. I didn’t travel all the way out here to meet anyone but you."

Would Link's reincarnation live up to the first? He certainly looked the same in most features; teenager of short stature, expressive blue eyes, fair skin, messy blond hair... the hair was a lighter shade this time around, but he looked the same in all other ways.

Well... there was no sense in wondering. He would find out soon enough.

"Great! We probably... we probably have a lot to talk about."

Indeed they did.

* * *

Being a sentient sword spirit was a strange thing. Time was an entirely made-up thing to him, a way for mortals to measure things for the sake of structure in their world. A minute, an hour, a day, a year; it seemed to blur together for him. Most of the time this didn’t even bother him, but sometimes...

"Ghira?"

He looked back over at the boy, panting and sweating, the practice dummy that was now completely shredded. Bits of sawdust floated in the air.

Well then. Looked like his swordsmanship was coming along decently enough.

"Yes?"

"You’re a thousand years old, right?"

"Yes." According to the Sheikah who had swarmed him when he entered this castle. Bah. Entirely too nosy.

"What’s changed between now and then?"

His brow furrowed, one hand moving to tuck a lock of his hair behind his ear. "Pardon?"

Dragging his weary feet over to sit at his side, Link plunked down next to him, grabbing a drink from the basin beside them. After a few long gulps, he looked back at Ghirahim. "Well, it's just like... you've been around for a thousand years so I was wondering- you’ve seen things evolve and change and I was wondering if you could tell me more about it?"

He twitched. "I can’t."

The twinkle of curiosity in those big blue eyes flickered out. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"I can’t," he repeated himself, an edge of hostility he felt pricks of guilt over slipping into his tone.

But Link never did know when to stop prying and, apparently, neither did this one. "Sure you can? You didn't die; I mean, you can, but you’re ageless, so you must have seen-"

"I spent most of my time away from civilization," he snapped.

"... Oh." He took another drink, face puckered in thought. Entirely too soon, he had more to say.

"You didn't know they'd be reincarnating me, did you? Did you just wait by..." He stopped as Ghirahim's shoulders drew together, grief and rising anger in his features. "I'm sorry. I'm..."

Just as the first had died, so would he, too. In time. The thought chilled him to his core almost as much as the realization that his existence in this world meant there was danger brewing elsewhere.

Danger that would be coming for the child eventually. Days, weeks, years; any possibility was too soon.

It could take him away again. If it didn't it would almost certainly leave him in the same state Skychild had been in; usually fine. Usually.

But when he was _not_ fine...

_No. Nothing will lay a hand on this one. **I will make sure of it.**_

Link's voice broke the silence, small and unsure, so unlike his Skychild and yet so very much like how he probably was before Demise's interference.

Before his _own_ interference.

"How... how many times do you think I'm going to...?"

"Forever." Ghirahim's voice emerged far more husky than he'd like, and he swallowed the rock that appeared to be lodged in his throat. Damn it all. He didn't sign up for this when his lord had created him.

Not that he'd signed up for anything, exactly; creation with the purpose of destruction and a good month terrorizing the chosen hero as he went about his adventuring just went with the initial job description. He hadn't been made for anything else, but that silly, stubborn child, when the dark god was destroyed--as much as Demise _could_ be destroyed--extended a hand of mercy to him.

That wasn't supposed to happen. None of this was.

Not his kinship with the boy, not the mortal's death rocking him to his core, not all of those empty years of nothing...

"Because Demise is going to just keep returning in any way he can, so I'm gonna be needed every few centuries or something..." His voice trailed off as he stared at the sunlight filtering in through the large window of the castle’s training room, the dust playing in the sunbeams. "... I guess I'll have to make sure to find you each time another me return."

Ghirahim turned his head so quickly to stare at him that his hair whipped around. "What."

Link stood up, hands on his hips. "I'm not the first Link. And the Link after me won't be me. The one after him won't be him. But if any of us are anything alike, we won’t like the idea of you being alone for an eternity. So here’s your homework; when I... when I pass away, don't vanish into nowhere. Even if... even if you don't want anything to do with society after I’m gone, at least sneakily check in now and again. And when you hear that I’m back, look for me. And I'll make sure in this lifetime that you’re recorded in our history books, so the next me will look for you. And then we’ll be together again, sort of, for another lifetime together.”

"... You always were a man of plans," he sighed, shaking his head. "I can't promise you it will be that easy."

"I know. Things happen. But it doesn't hurt to try." His eyes moved to stare out the window at the sunny, grassy field beyond. "I know I'm not... I'm not the person you were hoping for. I'm not exactly like him. And I'm sorry about that. But I hope in time we can be friends, too. And that every one that comes after us can also be your friend."

Foolish wetness in his eyes. He blinked to banish it, aware that wiping his face would draw Link's attention. He never used to feel things like this before; humans and their idiotic emotions. They could infect anything with them.

Especially Link.

"I will try."

"Good! First order of business; getting to know each other better." He jerked a thumb back towards the door. "I think we can go sneak out without much trouble."

"Did you finish your training for today?"

“More or less, yeah.”

"What does that mean? 'More or less?'" He huffed, the breath of air blowing his hair with the force of it. "You either did or you didn't."

"And while you're blabbing on about that I’m already halfway to the door and the last one to the old oak tree has to... uh... make dinner for the other!"

"Excuse- I don't even eat- what- where- oh no, no you don't; I'm coming!" He ran out the door behind him just as Link broke into a sprint, sheer glee in every line of his young face.

Maybe he really could do this. As painful as the waiting would be, maybe he could stand it, knowing he would, at the end of it, meet Link again, and become friends all over again.

It was definitely worth a shot.

**Author's Note:**

> This could be considered a rough draft, maybe. I'd like to revisit this concept and this fic sometime in the future, but this is good enough for now. I hope it was fun.


End file.
